Metropolis (religious jurisdiction)

A metropolis, also called a metropolitanate or metropolitan (arch)diocese, is a big church area led by a bishop. This bishop is called a metropolitan bishop or an archbishop. A metropolis is usually an important city and its surroundings.

Eastern Orthodox

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, a metropolis (also called metropolia or metropolitanate) is a type of diocese. Other types are eparchies, exarchates, and archdioceses.

In Greek Orthodox Churches, every diocese is a metropolis, and its head is a metropolitan. Other bishops are auxiliary bishops (helper bishops).

Catholic Church

In the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, a metropolis is the main church area of a church province. The leader is a metropolitan archbishop, and the metropolis is an archdiocese. It has at least one smaller church area, called a suffragan diocese.

In the Eastern Catholic Churches, a metropolitanate is a self-ruling church but smaller than a patriarchate. It is led by one metropolitan bishop.

Related pages

• Archbishop ad personam